Kidsburgh Neighborhood Guide: Exploring Crafton

Photo above courtesy of Big Daddy’s Donuts.

Pittsburgh is full of interesting neighborhoods, but many families may be in the habit of spending time mostly in the parts of town where they live or work. Throughout 2025, Kidsburgh will be sharing guides to a wide range of neighborhoods. You’ll find things to do, along with great places to eat and drink and shop – all in guides written by people who live in these neighborhoods. 

My name is Jayla, a Crafton native, and I’m happy to talk about the fun in my community-focused neighborhood in Kidsburgh’s first neighborhood guide of 2025!  

You’ll find details about our local library, restaurants and small businesses who’d be thrilled to receive your support. I’ll also mention a band who played our Fall Fest this year.

Welcome to Crafton! 

EAT AND DRINK

Fig Tree Coffee, 1931 Crafton Blvd.

What you’ll find there: Fig Tree offers a comfy atmosphere and more than just good coffee. It’s clean, peaceful and they have delicious treats like oatmeal caramel snickerdoodle cookies. With caramel sauce in the middle and the smell wafting up your nose, who wouldn’t want a bite? 

My favorite part is how friendly the staff members are. Not only are they quick on their feet, but they also multitask flawlessly as they chat with customers and make their drinks.  You’ll love the environment. If you’re new to Crafton, I’d suggest starting here. They’ll welcome you with open arms.

Big Daddy’s Donuts, 90 Noble Ave. 

Do you crave the experience of a retro-styled diner? Some places think that vibe is outdated and remodel, much to our heart’s disappointment. But not Big Daddy’s! This family-owned bakery has a fantastic old-school vibe, plus spectacular cream cheese muffins, delicious apple-filled donuts, and the best raised glazed donuts in Pittsburgh. 

That’s not the only good thing about it: The prices are also reasonable. With inflation, even buying two donuts can feel expensive. At Big Daddy’s, donuts are about a dollar each, so you won’t have to worry about wasting five dollars. Since you’re saving on the donuts compared to buying at a chain, treat yourself to an expensive coffee or a bottle of milk. 

Fitfeine & Ice Cream, 3 Foster Ave. 

You’ll find açaí bowls, protein boxes, boba tea, and much more! Since Planet Fitness is close by, so it’s the perfect place for gym bros and girls to stop for a quick and healthy snack or drink of choice. 

With its earthy, green walls and a fun chalkboard menu, Fitfeine offers an inviting atmosphere for anyone looking for a health boost. They also have games like checkers or Connect 4 on some of the tables, so kids can enjoy games while you’re eating. 

PLACES TO VISIT

Crafton Park 

The best way to describe this park? It’s the hangout place. 

Crafton Park, which covers more than 10 acres, includes a public swimming pool, a playground, three shelters which are available for rental, plus picnic tables, a community farm, ball fields and even a bocci ball court and amphitheater.

After my pit stops at either Fig Tree or Big Daddy’s, I’ll meet my friends at the place where Crafton’s fun events like “Crafton Celebrates” — our Fourth of July festival with food trucks, music, and fireworks — are held. In the summertime, cherry blossom trees bloom in our parking lot. Children play as parents soak up the sunshine. Also, in June, our local library will host their Summer Reading Kick-Off parties here, handing out snow cones with a variety of flavors to choose from at the Hoffman Shelter. 

Crafton Library

Our library hosts many community-focused activities. From free yoga classes for adults to family arts and crafts, plus a day for kids to play with the library’s personal Lego collection, they offer a variety of fun activities for people of all ages.

And, of course, they also have computers free to the public. Sometimes we just want to play games in the quiet! (Want to stop in for a class? Yoga classes are Mondays from 6:30-7:30 p.m., Legos for children are Thursdays from 4:30-5:30 p.m., and Family Arts and Crafts are 3:30-4:30 p.m.)  

LOCAL BUSINESSES FOR ONLINE SHOPPING

Whether you’re visiting Crafton in person or just want to support small businesses in the community, you have plenty of options. I discovered several during Crafton’s Fall Fest last year (it’s a great event, worth putting on your calendar for this fall!), so I wanted to share them with you here.  

Plus, if you’re a music lover, stick with this guide to the end: Fall Fest also had a great band covering songs and they would love for you to get to know them.

Ryan’s Perler Beads:  Fusible plastic perler beads can be ironed together to create your child’s favorite characters. You’ll find so many retro characters — Robin from Teen Titans Go, Sunset Shimmer from Equestria Girls,  Pokémon balls, and more! The accuracy is impressive. Sometimes, fan-made art has different shades of a character’s colors, but Ryan’s are true to the character designs. If your kids love crafts or characters, find Ryan on social media: @RyanFamilyPerlers on Facebook, Instagram, and Etsy. 

Caffeinated Created Chaos: Fluffy little critters! Yellow octopi, pastel pink axolotls, and rainbow chickens! Alicia, who is based out of Crafton, clearly loves what she does. She even created shawlettes — miniature versions of shawls. Her crocheting life can be seen on the shop’s Instagram @caffeinated.creative.chaos and shop on Etsy at CCCDesignsbyAlicia 

Emmy’s Crochet Creations: Here are even more crocheted goodies: Huge turtles, mushroom keychains, pop-its, daisies, and even chicks with mint green hats and whales with worried faces. All crafted by Emily Spezialetti. If you were thinking about buying a new keychain,  message her on Instagram at @emmys_crochet_creations, or email emmycrochetcreations@gmail.com! She’s based in Ingram, which is connected to Crafton. 

Displaced Texan Crafts: Ashlie creates custom-made tumblers including plenty of2010-inspired designs. All of them are fun, quirky, and worth carrying a coffee in — or any drink of your liking! My favorite part of the designs are the stickers! It adds flair! Tired of your old tumbler? She’s on Facebook as Displaced Texan and is based in Ingram! 

Bonus info: What’s a festival without live music?  The headliners at Crafton’s Fall Fest were Corn Liquor Saints, a five-member band making music in Pittsburgh for more than a decade.  Aaron Blackham is the violinist; Mike Geary plays guitar; Jeff McKee’s on bass; Jay Gould plays banjo. However, Gould was out of commission and couldn’t make it to Fall Fest, so another guy, Melegari, swooped in for him. Listening to them was a joy. 

Supporting your local businesses, community activities, and musicians gives them the strength to continue pouring into people and the things that they love! And exploring a new neighborhood can inspire your family and create some great memories. So come visit my hometown of Crafton.

And if your own neighborhood hosts events like Crafton Fall Fest or has some great local businesses you’ve been meaning to try, check them out! You never know what new families you could meet and what friends you could make!